Electrically heated branding iron



Aug. 16, 1932. H. Afm-:ARCE 1,871,555

ELEGTRICALLY HEATED BRANDING IRON Filed Nov. 15 1930 2 sheets-Sheet 1WITNESS' Ww@ Aug. 1:6, 1932. H. A. PEARCE 1,871,555

ELECTRICALLY HEATED BRANDING IRON Filed Nov. 15, 19:50 2 Sheets-sheet 2INVENTOR HAJDecz?" c BYM I ATTORNEY Y wxTNEss Patented Aug. 16, 1932UNITED ASTATES nenni! A. runnen, or EL rAso, TEXAs ELEGTRICALLY HEATEDBRANDING :non

Appneation inea November 15, 1930. serial No. 495,969. I

This invention relates to branding irons used for imprinting indicia onvarious articles. Y A primary object of the invention is to .provide abranding device which` may be used v for marking either flat surfaced orcurved surfaced articles, the holder for such articles being easilyreversible without detaching the holder from the jaw carrying it.

Another object is to so construct and mount an article holder to beusedin branding with this device so that it may be adjusted to centerthe type or rather to center the article in relation to the type soythat-the brand may be placed on the article at the desired point.

Another object `of the invention is to so construct a lbranderof thischaracter that the type box and heating unit may be quickly.` detachedand applied to facilitate changing of the type when desired and forVvarying the connections of the heating cord to control the heat of theheating unit. Y

In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible of a widerange of modification without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in thedrawings for illustrative purposes a preferred and r practical form, inwhich:

Figure l represents a side elevation of a branding tool constructed inaccordance with this invention with the jaws shown separated to receivethe article to be stamped or `brand- Fig. 2 is a bottom plan viewthereof with the article holding plate shown in position for holding apen or pencil or other curved article tobe marked; f

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan-view showing the holding plate arranged tosupport a fiat article; i

ing offset front portions which are arranged Fig. 4 is a longitudinalsection taken on to intersect each otherscissors-like and are pivotallyconnected or fulcrurned at 3. These handle members are madesubstantiallyinverted U-shaped in cross section, one being designed toreceive and house a' coiled spring 4 and the other an electric cordguide sleeve 5 as shown clearly in Fig. 4. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6this tool is yshown in inverted position, the handle 2 being designedVto carry the upper jaw member 10 and the handle member 1 carries thelower jaw 20.

' The upper jaw member 10 is pivotally connected between two forwardlyextending V1ingers 6 and 7 carried at theV front end of the handle 2which fingers straddle the jaw mem- 65 ber 10 and are pivotallyconnectedthereto intermediate the length thereof by a pivotv 8. Thefrontportion of this jaw member y10 is cut out at its inner face toform] a recess 11 to receive and support the box 12 whichscarries boththe heating unit 15 and the branding element 13, the latter beingremovably held between two clamping plates 14 and 14a arranged adjacentthe heating unitv l5 and held in adjusted position bya screw bolt 16 i5adjustably mounted in thefront end of the box 12 and provided with athumb nut or handle 17 for operating it. At the rear end of therecess 11is a shoulder 18 and opening through the front wall thereof isalongitudinally extending socket 19 designed to receive a longitudinallyextending post12acarried by the rear wall lof the box 12V and which isheld in place in the socketby friction, the shoulder 18 being designedto abut against the rear wall of the box'12V when the ,parts areassembled.

Carried bythe rear wall ofthe box 12 above the jaw 10l is asleeve 30whichcommunicates with the interior of the heat unit compartment 12b ofthe box 12 as shown clearly in Fig. 4 and which is designed to form acord guide and housin'gfor theelectric conductor 31, the negative andpositive wires of which'divide at the front end of the cord and areprovided with clips 32 for connecting them with the poles or contacts 33of the heat unit. Y Aplurality of these poles 33 are carried by the unitand arranged in longitudinally spaced relation so that the conductingslot 26 near ing wires may be connected with those closer together orfurther apart to vary the heating eliect, it being understood that thefurther apart the contacts are the greater the resistance will be andthe less heat generated, while the closer together the greater will bethe heat.. The heating unit of course is made of a currentresistingfelement 34 of any suitable material for this purpose.

The rear end of the jaw member 10 is reduced and made semi-circiilarin`form to fit" in the inverted U-shaped. handlemember 1.. A shoulder isormed'in the upper lace of' this extension as shownclearly in Fig.4Mand:

designed to abut a pin 35a extending transversely throughy the handlex1: for limiting the opening movement ofA the j aws under. the actionoffv the. spring 4 aswill be. presently morer fullydescribed..

The lower jaw- 20'is arranged'between two forwardly extending fingers6av andir'a'carried by. the front end of the" handle'- 1; and pivotally.connected with said iingers by a combined. spring: support and pivot'.bolt 211 The rea-rendof this jaw 2.0;extends between the sidewallsioffthehandle. member 2.and is slidably mountedl thereinand isprovided at its terminal with a reduced extension22fhav ing av shoulder23l at its rear end designed to abut azpi'n 24'eXtending'through thehandle member 2 and. which limits the; opening movement ofthe jaw20. Thecoiled spring 4 is connected atoneend to the'reducedextension 22 ofthejawv 2O and: at` its other end is attached to alug 2.5 struckout`oithehandle member 2 as is shown clearly infFigf.: 4. The jaw member 20has a longitudinally.entend? itsfront endV throughawhich is designed tobe passed a screw threaded post27 carried by the arti-'cle holder Vmadein the formof a plate 28,.saidpl'ate being held. elampingly engagedwithy thej aw 2O vby meansor1 awing nut'QC/'a carriedby the post 27 asisshown clearly in Fig. 4'. rll-his article holder 28 is designedft'ol be.removably and adjustably` mounted onv jaw` 20 by the means justdescribed and has formed at oneend thereof atrough-like seat 29`designed to hold a pencil` or the'lile whichaisto be marked by thebranding element 131 An article clamping sprin'g136'designed: tocooperate with the holding plate 28I is made of comparatively heavy'spring wire andbent intermediate its endsto formv ai loop 37. This loop37 is bent forwardly' and engagedwith the aw 20, being so bent as toystra'ddlezthe jaw as 'isshown' clearly in Fig. l. The` arms ofthis'spring'fat the rear endyof the 'loop 3? are coiled around bolt V21as shown-'clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings,4 thel spring thenextends forwardly with vthe arms-38 dil- Y verging'for a portion oftheir lengtlrandlthen extendedl forwardly parallel with eachl otherand'these parallel portions lie in engagement with the lowerface ofYthel plate28lto form .its place.

clamping fingers 29 designed to hold securely between them and the platethe article to be stamped or branded.

In Figs. 17 2, 4, and 6 the article holding plate 28 is positioned sothat the seat 29 will be arranged directly over the branding element 13andthusprovides for the stamping orbrandingof indicia on alroundedarticle such. asa pencil or pen which is held in the seat 29 by theclamping lingers 39.

IlrrFig. 3 the-plate 28 is shown shifted for usevineonnection with otherarticles such as l`at"pi'e 'es 'ofleather'and the like which it isdesired-to stamp... This shifting is accomplished by merely looseningthe thumb nut 27wandturning the plate;y into'the desired positionttheslot inthej a-wf20fpermitting this i adjustment.

It will ,bei obviousthat when thepartsare connected as show-n and:described the -coiled spring 4 will; hold: the jaws 10 and 20. open,

their opening; movement being'limited by the engagement ofV theshoulders on saidjaws with the pins 24 and35av.. llNhen' it isdesired:toY brand an article the article tov be markedis'placedbetween theclampingffin- `gers 39 and. the -plate28,` the implementbeing: reversedfrom .the position shown im the drawings so that'the'jaw 2Ofwillf be thebottomzjaw andthe jaw 10 the t'opjaw` and then: the current isturned on.by al suitable switchfnot show-n,.and. flows through theheatingielement. or unit 1.5, the resistance of whichpcausesthenecessaryheat for heating the brandingv element 13. When-this-,element -llhasbecome sufficiently heatedthefjaws are brought together byv pressureexerted on the handles.v 1f and Y2 `againstz'the tension'.v of. thespring'. 4A and' the-mark or. indicia carried by the-element 13 willbetransferredor. branded onto the article tobe marked. Y. y

It is of course' understood. that the 'brandiing element13 may be.changed to `meetA `the requirements of the user byl simply taking outthe-boX:12, releasing.; the plates which clamp said-l element' byunscrewing the screw 116 and placingi a desired-.branding element yin Itwill thus be seen that this tool simi:- lar in. construction` to av pairofk pliers. with thehandle members 1.and2. crossing' each .other andpiv-otally connected atv their points of intersection. These members.areV held normally. open` by the spring; 4'. ,j .The jaws .10 and" 20being.- pivotedI intermediate 'their ends to the front ends ofthe handle'andi ex tendedfbaek into said hollow handleunder the pins 24 and35afare .guided and held so that when the handles are closed and' openedthe jaws will move uniformlyf toward and away froml eachV other toprovide. the neces *sary contactA between the branding lelement 13andthe article to be: markedf- 4 carrying with them/the jaws l0 and 2()the shoulders on the rear portions of these jaws will abut the pinsabove mentioned and limit the opening movement of the handles and thejaws.

This tool is extremely simple and compact and the heating unit carryingthe branding element may be readily removed when desiredl by simplylifting out the box l2 from engagement with the jaw 2O andVdisconnecting the conductor cord from the heater element.

lVithout further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.v

I claim:

l. A branding iron comprising a plierlike structure including pivotallyconnected normally open handles, jaws carried by said handles andmovable toward and away from each other on theclosing and opening of thehandles, a marking element carriedby one of said jaws, and an articleholder by Vthe other, said holder having a seat to receive an article tobe marked and adapted to be swung laterally to position it in properrelation to the marking element. 1

2. A branding iron comprising a plier-like structure including pivotallyconnected normally open handles, jaws carried by said handles andmovable toward and away Afrom each other on the closing and opening ofthe handles, a marking element carried by one ci. said jaws, and anarticle holder by the other, said article holder being mounted to swinglaterally and having means to support eit flat or curved articles foroperatively positioning them in relation to the marking element. t

3. A branding iron comprising a plier-like structure including pivotallyconnected no rmally open handles, jaws carried by said handles andmovable toward and away from each other on the closing and opening ofthe handles, a marking element carried by one of said jaws, and anarticle holder-by the other, said holder being in the form of a plate ihaving a trough extending along one edge thereof, and means for mountingsaid holder on said jaws to provide for its lateral swinging to positionthe trough in operative relation to the marking element when desired.

4. A branding iron comprising a plier-like structure including pivotallyconnected normally open handles, jaws carried by said handles andmovable toward and away from each other on the closing and opening ofthe handles, a marking element carried by one of said jaws, and anarticle holder by the other, said marking element being in the form ot adetachably mounted box having a heating unit therein and a brandingelement arranged in conjunction therewith to be heated thereby.

5. A branding iron comprising a plier-like structure including pivotallyconnected normally open handles, jaws carried by said handles andmovable toward and away from each other on'the closing and opening ofthe handles, a marking element carried by one of said jaws, andanarticle holder by the other, said marking element including anelecrically heated unit with a branding element arranged adjacentthereto to be heated thereby, said boX being detachably mounted on itssupportingtjaw.

6. A branding devicecomprising a pair of jaws movable toward and awayfromeach other, one of said jaws carrying an article holder and theother having a seat :tormedv therein, a boX removably mounted in saidseat, a heating unit mounted in said boX, a branding element arranged tobe heated by said unit and to cooperate with said holder for marking thearticle to be branded, and means for supplying an electric current t-osaid heating unit.

, 7. A branding device comprising a pair of jaws movable toward and awayfrom each other, one of said jaws carrying an article holder and theother having a seat formed therein, the'other of said jaws having aseatv with a shoulder at its inner end and provided with alongitudinally extending socket open-V ico spring mounted on theholder-carrying jaw and having arms arranged to cooperate with saidholder to secure the article to be marked in the recess in the holder. i

HARRY A. PEARCE.

